


The Last Airbender

by bogolite



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Gen, The Author Regrets Nothing, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:21:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27293362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bogolite/pseuds/bogolite
Summary: Aang, being a powerful spirit vessel, drew upon the avatar state to keep him in a state of suspended animation for a century without issue. Appa, on the other hand, is just an ordinary sky bison. After 100 years frozen in ice, the last airbender wakes up alone.
Relationships: Aang & Appa (Avatar)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 8





	The Last Airbender

To say Aang was confused was like saying the South Pole was just a little chilly. Why was that boy acting so weird and poking his head? Why was that pretty girl staring at him? And why was he on an iceberg in the middle of nowhere?

  
"How'd you get in the ice? And why aren't you frozen?" the older boy demanded, and _why did he have to keep poking him?_

  
"I'm not sure," he said, but right after he said it it all started coming back to him. The monks saying he would have to leave, sneaking out of his room, flying away on — Appa!

  
Ignoring the boy's shouts of _Hey, where are you going?_ , Aang scrambled up and over the remains of the iceberg, sliding down the slope and leaping straight into the bison's thick fur. "Appa! Are you alright?"

  
There was no answering happy rumble, or warm snort, or even a blink. "Come on buddy, wake up! You need to meet our new friends!" _And we should probably get back to the temple so I can apologize to Gyatso,_ he silently reminded himself. He could picture the look of disappointment on his and the other monks' faces; he could almost hear them scolding him. But then Gyatso would smile and say he needed some help baking more pies or testing out his new pai sho board and wonder if Aang could assist him, and Aang would know everything would turn out okay.

  
Appa still hadn't moved.

"Appa, are you okay? Are you sick?" Maybe he caught a cold — actually, maybe they both did. The last time he felt this stuffed up was when he accidentally snorted fruit pie up his nose. He _still_ hadn't lived that one down.

  
"What is that thing?!" Aang turned to the water tribe girl and boy, who were staring in awe and looked to be on the verge of passing out, respectively.

"This is Appa, my flying bison!" he replied cheerfully. The boy shook off his shock surprisingly quickly. "Right," he deadpanned. "And this is Katara, my flying sister."

"I think he's sick, though," he said, turning back to rub his too-still friend's too-cold nose.

An uneasy feeling was beginning to churn in his stomach, but he stubbornly pushed it down. _He's just tired. Tired and cold. Maybe if I just..._

He began prodding Appa's face — pulling at his lips, wiggling his fingers in his ears, anything to get a reaction. "Come on, buddy! We gotta —"

He cut himself off with a gasp as he lifted one enormous eyelid. What greeted him underneath was not his usual warm, dark brown, but a milky blue-gray as cold and dead as the ice that surrounded them.

"...Appa?"

No, no no _no_...

"Get up, Appa! Please, you have to get up! We have to go back to the air temple and apologize to Gyatso and I'll give you all the apples you want just _please get up!_ "

Appa still didn't move even as Aang sank to his knees, sobbing and clutching fistfuls of white fur. He distantly noticed the water tribe girl coming up behind him and saying something in a soft, comforting tone, but the words didn't register. It didn't matter.

Because he woke up alone.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfic. Please tell me what you think and offer critique!


End file.
